Workshop 1.1 | Resilient Libraries: Safety, Ethics and Service Provision in an Uncertain World
Date: Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 16:00-18:00
Location: R93
Speakers:
Linda Vidlund, Swedish Agricultural University Library (SLU), Sweden
Cecilia Ekström, Oslo University Library, Norway
Céline Ben Amar, Royal National Library of Belgium (KBR), Belgium
Organised by the LIBER Architecture Working Group
As open as possible, as secure as necessary — this workshop focuses on the everyday dilemmas that arise in running campus libraries and in meetings with university stakeholders.
Physical libraries are visible, accessible hubs that shape academic identity, provide workplaces and social space for students, and host learning, collaboration and research dissemination. Day-to-day decisions — about staffing, furniture, access, accessibility, censorship, and local policies — require balancing openness with safety. Under current economic and political pressures, these tensions become more frequent and urgent. As part of university campus planning, it is important to work actively on these issues.
Through practical examples and group discussion, the workshop will surface the key questions staff encounter, share solutions from different universities, and identify actionable approaches for handling these challenges in routine library work and institutional meetings.
The workshop participants are invited to bring their own cases to the discussions.
Workshop Objectives:
- To inspire library leaders and staff to improve the safety and accessibility of physical library spaces and to share experiences.
- To encourage collaborative problem-solving and innovative thinking.
- Participants will reflect on and share lessons learned to identify practical insights and next steps.
Workshop introduction:
A short thematic introduction, presented by the workshop facilitators, that highlights key aspects and provides international university examples. This will be followed by participant introductions and a sharing of expectations for the workshop.
Group discussions and gallery walk:
Participants will be divided into small groups and work on different cases and guiding questions provided at each table. Groups make summary posters at their tables, which are displayed and presented in a gallery walk.
Reflective exercise:
The workshop concludes with an individual reflection exercise that is shared in plenary.